The hidden mothers is a genre of photography common in the Victorian era in which young children were photographed with their mother present but hidden in the photograph. Hidden by a drape fabric, curtain, tablecloth … The method was born from the need to keep the children still while taking the photograph. Cameras back then use to require longer time of exposure.
In a game intertwining the background and the subject, Mehryl Levisse reveals forms between floral or geometric motifs. Of these ghostly silhouettes, only a few elements stand out, children are replaced by pets or plants. The artist creates an installation specially designed for the French Institute of Casablanca, mixing wallpaper and photographic recordings. He also produces an in situ monumental work on the building’s facade.
Exhibition from du January 30th till February 28th, 2019 at Institut français de Casablanca – Galerie 121
